1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to elevated platforms such as a hunting stand, a tree trimmer's platform or a band director's stand. Further, the invention relates to a shooting house that may be selectively raised to aid in viewing wildlife. The invention further relates to a method for erecting a shooting house so that the shooting house may be transported and selectively raised.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many individuals desire to observe wildlife or game in their natural habitat. Individuals may desire to observe wildlife either for photography, for hunting or for other means of recreation.
In order to observe wildlife, it is advantageous for one to elevate themselves so as to be removed from the immediate line of sight and scent of animals on the ground. One elevation mechanism that has been employed is a tree stand. Tree stands come in a variety of sizes and designs. The most common type of tree stand is one that is temporarily affixed to a single tree. Such tree stands have the advantage of being light weight, portable and relatively inexpensive. However, they are also confining, requiring the individual to either sit or stand in a single position and orientation for an extended period of time.
A more comfortable and practical elevation mechanism is the hunting stand. The hunting stand defines a small, free-standing, substantially enclosed house having one or more windows for viewing wildlife. The house is supported off of the ground by a support structure that may be eight or more feet tall. The house is accessed by scaling a ladder that extends up from the ground. While such hunting stands are more comfortable, they have the disadvantage of being large, heavy, fixed structures. This means that the hunter or photographer who wishes to view wildlife from more than one location must erect more than one stand or go to the considerable trouble of relocating the house and supporting structure.
Recently, various hunting stands have been disclosed that are portable. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,641 provides a hunting stand that is transported by a trailer. The hunting stand defines a platform that is raised at the end of a pivoting shaft. The shaft pivots from a lower horizontal position to an erected position on the trailer. The shaft is raised by actuating a telescoping base that extends in response to rotational movement of a lead screw. Lateral stabilizer arms are provided for the erected platform.
Various other portable hunting stands have been disclosed with different lifting mechanisms. U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,555 teaches a stand supported on a wheeled trailer. The shooting stand may be raised by actuating a pair of hydraulic cylinders. The cylinders cause a lift boom and supported shooting stand to be erected. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 6,460,653 provides a “hunting box” that is supported by a scissor support structure. The scissor support structure is raised by actuating an electric winch that acts on a plurality of pulleys. U.S. Pat. No. 6,739,428 provides a shooting stand that comprises a chair on a platform. The platform is rotated into its elevated position by actuating a winch to rotate a support structure into an upright position. The stand is transported by and actually positioned on an all-terrain vehicle.
The above disclosures generally require a number of expensive mechanical parts. For example, the stand of the '641 patent requires a lead screw for raising a telescoping shaft. U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,716 does provide a simpler model for raising a deer stand. The stand is raised by use of a cable and pulley that pivots support members from a lower horizontal position into a vertical position. However, a separate ladder must be provided to access the house.
Accordingly, a need remains for a liftable shooting house that employs a sturdy and mechanically straight-forward design for raising the house. Further, a need remains for an improved platform such as for a hunting stand that integrates the ladder into the support structure. A need also remains for a selectively liftable platform actuated by applying tension to a cable, and wherein the ladder is pulled into position so as to level the platform after it is raised.